...to enhance operational efficiency
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has purchased two new grove mobile cranes at the cost of 436,631 dollars to step up operational efficiency and increase revenue generation at the Tema Fishing Harbour.
The new cranes with a maximum lifting capacity of 25 tonnes each and telescopic boom reach of 29 metres would reduce the workload on the existing aging ones and allow for good management and maintenance.
Speaking at the commissioning of the cranes at the fishing harbour on Tuesday, Major (rtd) Samuel Ntow, General Manager of the Tema Fishing Harbour, said there was the need to procure the cranes following the low revenue generation from the old cranes that dropped from 721 million cedis in 1996 to 561 million cedis in 2001.
It, therefore, became necessary to augment the existing number of cranes to meet pressing demand in order to increase the carnage revenue and to reduce pressure on the aging ones. Major Ntow said vessel calls rose from 66 in 1996 to 330 in 2000, which yielded tuna catch from 38,808 tonnes in 1998 to 40,482 tonnes in 2001.
On the contrary, the catch of carton fish has reduced drastically from 31, 518 tonnes in 1998 to 12,572 tonnes in 2000 and he attributed it to governmental policies on the importation of fish. Mr Ben Owusu Mensah, Director General of the GPHA, handed over the keys to the cranes to the Fishing Harbour Manager.
The Tema Fishing Harbour Strategic Business Unit (SBU) of the GPHA was set up in 1994 as a self-financing unit to manage the fishing harbour. The following year, the outer fishing harbour rehabilitation project was commissioned to expand its infrastructure base.
Commissioning the cranes, Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) noted that the sophistication and highly competitive international trade required the upgrading of the country's seaports to cope with changing demands of international practice.
To this end, he entreated the Management of fishing harbour to look for more opportunities to continue with the necessary investment to upgrade the place to meet the demands of its numerous customers. Mr Narh commended the GPHA for its maintenance culture that had resulted in increased productivity and urged it to continue with the zeal for increased revenue generation for the nation.
Commenting on the laid up vessels dotted along the coast, the Mr Narh suggested the formation of inter-organisational committee comprising representative of all relevant agencies including traditional chiefs to find lasting solution to the problem. The committee should look at the possibility of allowing early dumping or beaching of unserviceable vessels at a cost to the owners.
